Containers made of tin, or composite sheet metal, glass or else ceramic, known in the past, are being increasingly replaced by containers made of plastic. In the meantime, in particular for the packaging of fluid substances, for example beverages, household products, bodily care products, etc., plastic containers are now mainly being used. The low weight and the lower costs definitely play a significant role in this substitution. The use of recyclable plastic materials and the total energy balance that is more favorable as a whole in their production also contribute to promoting the acceptance of plastic containers, in particular plastic bottles, by consumers. Also, in the area of personal hygiene and cosmetics, the previously known glass containers are replaced to an increasing extent by those made of plastic.
To combat unpleasant body odor, for example from perspiration, recently so-called roll-on deodorants are being used more and more frequently. The roll-on deodorants are to replace in particular the previously used spray deodorants, whose propellants have in many cases proven disadvantageous for the ozone layer. A roll-on deodorant includes (e.g., consists of) a receptacle for a deodorant, which has a roll cage for an applicator ball on its upper area provided with the outlet opening. The ball is held in a rotatable manner in the cage. When the closure, such as a rotary closure, is screwed onto the receptacle, the ball presses against an annular circumferential sealing area and thus prevents leakage of the deodorant contained in the interior. When the closure is removed, a narrow gap remains between the ball surface and the sealing area. The gap makes it possible for the section of the ball that is wetted with the deodorant during the rotation of the ball to go to the part of the body to be treated, for example the armpit, and to release a thin film of deodorant there. Because of the dual function—on the one hand a seal, on the other hand, release of deodorant—relatively high specifications on the dimensional stability of the cage and the ball exist. The roll cages are therefore produced in an injection-molding method, which ensures the desired accuracies.
In the past, receptacles were in many cases manufactured from glass, onto which the injection-molded roll cage made of plastic was pressed or screwed. The applicator ball is pressed into the roll cage after the receptacle is filled with deodorant, and the ball can be rotated there and held captive. In the meantime, a number of roll-on deodorants are also known that have a receptacle made of plastic. In this case, the plastic container can be produced in a stretch blow-molding method or in an extrusion-blow-molding method. In turn, the injection-molded roll cage is pressed or screwed onto the neck of the receptacle and, for example, in addition heat-sealed for fixing and sealing. The roll cage and the receptacle should have binding sections that are matched exactly to one another so that sealing problems can be avoided.
Known roll-on deodorants include (e.g., consist of) four components; the receptacle, the roll cage, the applicator ball, and the sealing cap, which are produced separately in each case and matched to one another with respect to dimensional stability. The logistical expense for the production, the storage and the merging of the components of the roll-on deodorant that are matched to one another can be significant. The production of the roll cage in the injection-molding method is relatively labor-intensive and costly because of the undercut for the rotation and at the same time captive holding device of the applicator ball. In this case, the tool costs for the injection-molding tool for the roll cage and the tool costs for the tool for the production of the receptacle play a significant role. Even a separate assembly and fixing of the roll cage on the plastic container is also desired, which increases the complexity and the costs for the production of roll-on deodorants.